Danu's Cauldron: Wisewoman's Ways, and Wild Fey Magic

Living in a sacred landscape, walking between the worlds in the veil of Avalon Glastonbury. Where the old gods roam the hills, and the sidhe dance beneath the moon...wander into the mists with me and let us see what we may find...

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Samhain / Nos Calan Gaeaf ancestral healing

Samhain, the Gaelic name for Halloween, is on the 31st of October, also known as Nos Calan Gaeaf in Wales- literally meaning ‘the night before the beginning of winter’.  Astrologically Samhain is a cross quarter festival- falling in between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice and for this reason dates to celebrate can vary- from the 31st to the 7th of November- which is its astrological date this year. This is a special time, where spirits abound to wreak havoc or visit their loved ones, for solace or revenge, where the spirits of nature remind us of their wild and untamed ways and for a while the ordinary way of things in the mortal world is upended. 

Now is a perfect time to honour our ancestors and do some ancestral healing- this frees us up from the patterns of the past, ways of being handed down from parents to children often going back generations that are often unconscious and overlooked, to say what we didn’t say or to resolve and forgive any misdeeds.

Try setting up an ancestral altar. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a clear shelf with photos and maybe some flowers will do- and it can be a permanent fixture in the home or just up for a few days as you feel. Just making a space in our home for something helps to hold it in our awareness and allows a consciousness change to occur gently and gradually. An ancestral altar can be a place where we make a prayer for those who have passed over, or where we may ask for help and support, holding those who have come before us in respect and gratitude, and asking higher assistance to support those who we may feel needed more healing in their lives when they were here. Sometimes people leave us with uncomfortable or difficult feelings and this is a place where these can be addressed as well- where we may ask other ancestors for support or say things we need to get of our chest.      

To send some ancestral healing and to honour those who have passed this Samhain, light a candle for remembrance, and spend a few minutes remembering your mothers and fathers ancestral lines, sending them your gratitude and asking that they be blessed and healed.  Take a glass of wine or other spirit, and a dish of your best food, and place these on your altar as a gift for them- feeding the spirits is an ancient and worldwide practice, and shows your care and respect, building healthy strong bonds between you and your spirit kin. Lastly, light a candle or candle lantern ( traditionally in Scotland these were tumshies- carved turnips not pumpkins) and place the lights in your window or outside your door, allowing it to burn safely, right down, to guide the spirts on their way back to the otherworld in peace.

May your bloodlines and ancestors be blessed!

©danuforest21

www.danuforest.co.uk courses books workshops consultations and readings. 

 

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Danu Forest is a wisewoman in the Celtic Bean Feasa tradition of her Irish ancestors. You could call her many things- witch, seer, walker between the worlds, healer, druid, priestess, teacher, writer, gardener, herbwife, stargazer, faery friend, tree planter, poet, and wild woman. Danu lives in a cottage near Glastonbury Tor in the midst of the Avalon lakes, in the southwest of England. Exploring the Celtic mysteries for over 25 years, and noted for her quality research, practical experience, as well as her deep love of the land, Danu writes for numerous national and international magazines and is the author of several books including Wild Magic, The Druid Shaman, Celtic Tree Magic, Gwyn ap Nudd and The Magical Year'. She teaches regular workshops and online courses and is available for consultations, including healings readings and other ceremonies.

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